My Curse by Killswitch Engage (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

The My Curse by Killswitch Engage guitar tone is built on a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, dialed in at gain 9/10, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 7, presence 6.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

Amp settings (0–10)

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 9 sits above the metal average (7.3) — a hotter, more saturated take than most metal tones; mids at 4.5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

Original gear

Guitar: Gibson Les Paul · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Studio recording for 'My Curse' (2006). Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel both used Gibson Les Pauls with EMG active pickups into Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers. Pedal chain confirmed for studio use. No evidence of live gear or alternate amp for this recording.

Gear used on this tone

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Gibson Les Paul → Maxon OD808 Overdrive → Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Effects

overdrive, noise_gate, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (digital, level 2)

Tone character

tight and percussive, scooped mids, aggressive palm muting, high-gain saturation, articulate pick attack, compressed and focused, modern metal clarity, fast note tracking, minimal ambience, punchy low end

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, fast tempo, aggressive dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the My Curse sound.

Difficulty

4/5 · Riff

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, with syncopated rhythms and little margin for error, making it challenging for most players.

Worth knowing

• No direct numeric amp settings for 'My Curse' studio session found; values estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier settings for Killswitch Engage in 2006 and genre conventions.
• Pedal chain confirmed for studio use, but exact pedal settings not available.
• Pickup model inferred from era and known band setup; EMG 81/85 widely documented for this period.
• No evidence of time-based or modulation effects in the riff section; only overdrive/boost and noise gate confirmed.
• Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Killswitch Engage's 'My Curse' features a very high-gain, modern metal tone with tight low end, slightly scooped but not hollow mids, and clear, aggressive highs. Their typical use of Mesa/Peavey amps and EMG pickups in this era, plus the dry, punchy mix, support these settings.

🎸 All My Curse guitar tones — every part & section →

My Curse guitar tone — FAQ

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Sources

• Killswitch Engage: Ironhearts & Redemption Review - Premier Guitar
• Killswitch Engage tone preset : r/QuadCortex - Reddit

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